Do Most People Have To Go To A Disability Hearing in order to Get Approved For Disability?

It may seem that most people have to go to a disability hearing to get approved for disability, but statistics indicate that more people are approved prior to the disability hearing level. The approval rate for initial disability claims is approximately thirty five percent, which means that thirty-five out of 100 initial disability claim applicants are approved at the first step, which is the disability application. The approval rate at the reconsideration appeal level is about 15 percent and that means that about 10 more individuals out of the 100 original disability applicants are approved for disability.

So, about forty-five individuals out of every one hundred disability applicants win disability benefits before they could even get to the Social Security disability hearings level. If the remaining 55 individuals appeal their claim, roughly 33 more of these individuals from the starting group of 100 applicants may be approved for disability.

So what does all of this say? That more individuals are approved for disability prior to the disability hearing. However, of all the levels of the disability process the disability hearings level has the highest approval rate. More than forty percent of all individuals who appeal their disability claim to the administrative law judge hearing will be approved for disability.

Statistical information also seems to indicate that disability applicants who have representation are fifty percent more likely to be approved for disability benefits at the administrative law judge hearing than those who represent themselves at their disability hearing. In fact, the statistics indicate that while only about 40 percent of the disability applicants who represent themselves at their hearing are approved, sixty percent of the disability applicants with representation are approved for disability benefits at their hearing.

It is logical to assume that disability applicants who are represented by disability attorneys and representatives (who are familiar with disability program medical and vocational rules and guidelines) would have a higher approval rate than most average disability applicants who are representing themselves. Most disability applicants know very little about the rules or guidelines that might help them present their disability cases in a manner that would likely result in an awarding of benefits.